Microsoft has had a long relationship with ARM, the leading maker of CPUs in for mobile devices. Now the companies have expanded that partnership, hinting at new designs for mobile and embedded products built on ARM's architecture that carry Microsoft's branding.

Microsoft and mobile CPU maker ARM announced on Friday that they have signed a new license for the English firm's ARM processor architecture, but the companies thus far have been mum on the details, however.

"ARM is an important partner for Microsoft and we deliver multiple operating systems on the company's architecture, most notably Windows Embedded and Windows Phone," KD Hallman, a general manager at Microsoft, said in a joint statement with ARM.